Risk
& Responsibility
“Life is
inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all
costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing...Change the changeable,
accept the unchangeable and remove yourself from the unacceptable.”
Denis
Waitley
Life is risky business.
Especially now, or so it seems. We sit on the edge of our seats every
single day wondering what will happen next. Here in America, we're
reeling from storms and fires, from lunatics shooting up crowds of
people, and from complete chaos in our government. It's hard to feel
secure with all these things going on. I thank God for people like
Sen. John McCain who, even though he is battling brain cancer,
marshals his energy and proclaims what he, and we, stand for in the
world. He doesn't pull punches or mince words—he calls stupid,
stupid without hesitation. He, and others like him, are doing what
they can do to change an unacceptable situation.
We may think, “yes, but
he's a Senator; he has great power to persuade,” and we are correct
in that assessment. But we all have power in our little corner of the
world; we all have the ability and the responsibility to speak our
truth. I don't want to see us shut down our borders, pull out of our
treaties and trade pacts, and goad other countries into nuclear war.
I don't want to see us at war, period. So, I have a responsibility to
speak that truth. I have a responsibility to say to whomever is
listening that, whatever the problem, war is not the answer. It may
be that my words will not make a difference, that I do not have the
position or the power to move hearts and minds, but that's not the
point. The point is that I don't have the option of doing nothing,
and the something I can and must do is speak my own truth.
More and more people are
realizing this. We must speak up; and not only speak up, but change
what is changeable. It is heartening to see former Presidents, Bush
and Obama, speaking out about the unacceptability of racism,
misogyny, casual cruelty and religious intolerance in our public
discourse. It is an important moment for us to take a good look at
what is happening in our country and the world, and ask, “Is this
how I want the world to be? Is this the world I want to hand down to
my children and grandchildren? There is nothing happening that cannot
be changed. What can I do, however small and powerless I may be, to
bring about the change I want to see?
Life is risky. But, the
greatest risk we run is not doing our part to make it better—for
ourselves and for those who will come after us. Doing nothing is not
an option. I hope that today, you will speak your heart's truth to at
least one other person.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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